Communication terminal device

ABSTRACT

A communication terminal device carries out data processing based on key or touch panel operations and provides a telephone conversation function. When a key is actuated, a key input confirmation sound is generated. When data input is performed on the touch panel with a pen, a pen impact sound caused by striking the touch panel with the pen and a pen frictional sound caused by rubbing the touch panel with the pen are generated. In the telephone conversation mode, the key input confirmation sound, the pen impact sound, and the pen frictional sound are picked up as noises by the microphone. Upon detecting such noises, the communication terminal device generates noise canceling signals corresponding to the respective noises and cancels each noise from a voice signal input from the microphone. Thus, a voice signal free from noises is transmitted.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a communication terminal device whichtransmits or receives input voice data for communication processing.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, hand-held types of data processing equipment, calledPDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), have been utilized as equipment forsending electronic mail and faxes by sending data entered or stored bytheir data processing functions through wireless or radio communicationmeans such as cellular phones.

However, in order to achieve data communication through data processingequipment of the hand-held type, it is required to carry wirelesscommunication means such as a cellular phone. In addition, it isnecessary to make a connection between the data processing equipment andthe wireless communication means when communication is actuallyperformed. These requirements are very troublesome.

Furthermore, the proper use of voice communication and datacommunication cannot be made smoothly.

Accordingly, a wireless communication terminal has been developed inwhich a cellular phone and a hand-held data processing equipment areintegrated with each other.

Such integrated hand-held communication terminals can perform both voicecommunication and data communication. However, since a voice entrymicrophone, data entry keys, and a touch panel are mounted on the samecabinet, when key entries or pen entries of data are made in the voicecommunication mode, various noises (input confirmation sounds, soundsproduced by a pen contacting the touch panel, etc.) due to entryoperations are picked up by the microphone and mixed into telephoneconversations, making it difficult to hold clearly audibleconversations.

In view of the disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art devicesdescribed above, it is an object of the present invention to provide acommunication terminal device which prevents noises due to data entryoperations, such as pen-based entries, from being mixed in telephoneconversations and hence permits clearly audible telephone conversationsto be held.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a communicationterminal device comprising means for inputting data based on manualoperations; voice input means; noise canceling means for canceling noisecomponents other than voice components from a sound signal picked up bysaid voice input means, said noise components being generated by manualoperations of said data inputting means; and means for transmitting asound signal which has noise components canceled by said noise cancelingmeans.

According to the present invention, noise components generated inresponse to input operations in the pen- or key-based data inputtingmeans are canceled from a voice signal input from the voice input meansand the resulting voice signal free from noises is then transmitted.Thus, since an input confirmation beeping sound, a pen impact pippingsound caused by impact of the pen onto the touch panel, and a penfrictional crackling sound caused by friction between the pen and thetouch panel are canceled, telephone conversations will not beinterrupted.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be setforth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.

The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized andobtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments ofthe present invention and, together with the general description givenabove and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments givenbelow, serve to explain the principles of the present invention inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a communication terminal device in accordancewith a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a circuit arrangement of the communicationterminal device according of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for the input confirmation sound cancellationprocessing;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for the pen impact sound cancellation processing;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for the pen frictional sound cancellationprocessing;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a circuit arrangement of the communicationterminal device according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for the noise component cancellation processing inaccordance with the second embodiment.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the exterior of a communication terminaldevice in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

A body 1 of the communication terminal device comprises a cabinet thatis of a size to allow users to hold it in one hand. In the center of thefront side of the device body 1 is placed a liquid crystal display 3 onwhich is arranged a touch panel 2. A number of keys 4 are arranged belowthe liquid crystal display 3 (touch panel 2).

There are further provided a microphone 5 at the lower left of theliquid crystal display 3 (touch panel 2) of the device body 1 and aspeaker 6 and a buzzer 7 at the upper left thereof. The device body 1has an antenna built in to make communication with a radio telephonebase station.

The touch panel 2 is adapted to generate a voltage signal according to apoint on the touch panel 2 at which a pen 8 touches the panel. The X andY coordinates on the liquid crystal display 3 that correspond to thepoint of touch are recognized by the voltage signal generated from thetouch panel 2. Based on the result of recognition, input handwritingdata is displayed and processing corresponding to the contents ofdisplay is carried out.

The keys 4 include various mode setting keys for selectively settingbuilt-in function modes of the communication terminal device, such as a"TEL" key 4-1 for setting a telephone function, a "FAX" key 4-2 forsetting a facsimile function, a key for setting a data entry/retrievalfunction, etc.

The microphone 5 and the speaker 6 are respectively used as a voiceinput device and a voice output device for telephone conversations whenthe telephone function mode is set. The buzzer 7 produces inputconfirmation beeping sounds when the keys 4 are operated or the touchpanel 2 is touched with the pen.

When the TEL key 4-1 is operated to set the telephone function mode, adial input screen appears on the liquid crystal display 3. When the userinputs a telephone number dial of a person to whom he or she wants toconnect by touching the dial input screen with the pen 8, a dial signalis transmitted to a wireless telephone base station through the built-inantenna, allowing telephone communication through the microphone 5 andthe speaker 6.

When the facsimile function mode is set in the data entry/retrieval modewith desired data being displayed and the user dials the facsimilenumber of a person to whom data is to be sent through the touch panel, adialing signal is transmitted to a wireless telephone base stationthrough the built-in antenna, whereby data transmission is made.

On the other hand, when a ringing tone is produced by the speaker 6 andthe user performs a receiving operation with a key 4, he or she isallowed to have a conversation with a call originating party through themicrophone 5 and the speaker 6. If, when the ringing tone is produced bythe speaker 6, an incoming signal is a facsimile signal, automaticswitching is made to the facsimile receive mode, allowing reception ofdata.

When, in a conversation state where the microphone 5 and the speaker 6are in operation, input confirmation beeping sounds produced by thebuzzer 7, pipping sounds caused by impact of the pen 8 against the touchpanel 2, or crackling sounds caused by friction between the pen and thetouch panel, which is produced by operating the keys 4 or touching thepanel 2, is picked up by the microphone 5 as noises, noise componentscontained in a signal input by the microphone 5 is canceled, therebypreventing noises caused by input operations from mixing into a voicesignal to be sent to a person at the other end.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an input noise cancellation circuitaccording to the first embodiment of the communication terminal device.The communication terminal device is equipped with a controller 11.

The controller 11 controls all of operations of the communicationterminal device such as the telephone function, the fax function, thedata entry/retrieval function, the input noise cancellation function,etc. To the controller 11 are connected the touch panel 2, the liquidcrystal display 3, the keys 4, the microphone 5, and the speaker 6.Further, to the controller 11 an antenna 13 is connected through acommunication controller 12 and circuits 14 to 22 for canceling inputnoises are connected.

In the telephone function mode, a voice signal from the microphone 5 ismodulated in the communication controller 12, then transmitted throughthe antenna 13. A voice signal received and recovered by thecommunication controller 12 is output from the speaker 6.

In the facsimile function mode, data entered by operating the touchpanel 2 or the keys 4 or stored data is modulated in the communicationcontroller 12 and transmitted through the antenna 13. Facsimile datareceived by the antenna 13 and demodulated by the communicationcontroller 12 is displayed on the liquid crystal display 3.

An input confirmation sound generator 14 causes the buzzer 7 to generatean input confirmation beeping sound, each time an input operation isperformed on the touch panel 2 or an input operation based on keys 4 isperformed. The input confirmation sound signal from the inputconfirmation sound generating circuit 14 is supplied to an inputconfirmation sound canceling signal generating circuit 15 as well as tothe buzzer 7.

The input confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15 generates aninput confirmation sound canceling signal which has substantially thesame level as an actual input signal from the microphone 5 (which isattenuated by a predetermined level from the level of the inputconfirmation sound from the buzzer 7 at the time of generation) when aninput confirmation beeping sound generated by the buzzer 7 is picked upby the microphone 5. The input confirmation sound canceling signalgenerated by the input confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15is supplied to a noise canceler 16.

On the other hand, in a conversation state in the telephone functionmode, a sound signal entered by the microphone 5 is delayed by apredetermined period of time in a delay circuit 17, then supplied to thenoise canceler 16.

Stated another way, the input confirmation sound canceling signalgenerated by the input confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15when the input confirmation beeping sound is generated becomes equal inlevel to a signal from the microphone 5 corresponding to the inputconfirmation beeping sound. The input confirmation sound cancelingsignal and the actual input confirmation sound signal from themicrophone 5 are supplied to the noise canceler 16.

A pen impact sound canceling signal generator 18 reads pen impact soundsample data stored in a pen impact sound sample data storage 19 togenerate a pen impact sound canceling signal when it is supplied with afirst touch location signal at the start of contact of the pen 8 withthe touch panel 2. The pen impact sound canceling signal generated bythe pen impact sound canceling signal generator 18 is supplied to thenoise canceler 16.

The pen impact sound sample data stored in the pen impact sound sampledata storage 19 is obtained by sampling a pipping sound caused by thepen 8 impacting onto the touch panel 2 at the start of an operation ofbringing the pen 9 into contact with the touch panel 2. The pen impactsound canceling signal generated by the pen impact sound cancelingsignal generator 18 based on the pen impact sound sample data is madeequal in level to an actual input signal from the microphone 5corresponding to a pen impact pipping sound picked up by the microphone5.

Stated another way, a pen impact sound canceling signal generated by thepen impact sound canceling signal generator 18 when the pen impactpipping sound is generated becomes equal in level to a signal for thepen impact pipping sound entered into the microphone 5. The pen impactsound canceling signal and the actual pen impact sound signal input bythe microphone 5 are supplied to the noise canceler 16.

A coordinate string storage/detector 20 stores X, Y coordinate datacorresponding to touch locations detected at a predetermined intervalwhen the pen 8 is in contact with the touch panel 2 and detects whetheror not the rate of change of the coordinates has exceeded a presetthreshold. If it is detected that the rate of change of the coordinateshas exceeded the threshold, then a threshold at which a frictionalcrackling sound begins to occur due to movement of the pen 8 on thetouch panel 2 is considered to have been exceeded. As a result, a penfrictional sound generation detection signal is supplied to a penfrictional sound canceling signal generator 21.

A pen frictional sound canceling signal generator 21 reads penfrictional sound sample data stored in a pen frictional sound sampledata storage 22 to generate a pen frictional sound canceling signal whenit is supplied with the pen frictional sound generation detection signalfrom the coordinate string storage/detector 20. The pen frictional soundcanceling signal generated by the pen frictional sound canceling signalgenerator 21 is supplied to the noise canceler 16.

The pen frictional sound sample data stored in the pen frictional soundsample data storage 22 is obtained by sampling a frictional cracklingsound, caused by friction between the pen 8 and the touch panel 2 due tomovement of the pen 8 on the touch panel 2. The pen frictional soundcanceling signal generated by the pen frictional sound canceling signalgenerator 21 based on the pen frictional sound sample data is made equalin level to an actual input signal from the microphone 5 correspondingto a pen frictional crackling sound picked up by the microphone 5.

Stated another way, a pen frictional sound canceling signal generated bythe pen frictional sound canceling signal generator 21 when a penfrictional crackling sound is generated becomes equal in level to aninput signal from the microphone 5 for the pen frictional cracklingsound. The pen frictional sound canceling signal and the actual penfrictional sound signal input by the microphone 5 are supplied to thenoise canceler 16.

When an input confirmation beeping sound is generated by the buzzer 7 inresponse to the generation of an input confirmation sound signal fromthe input confirmation sound generator 14, the noise canceler 16subtracts an input confirmation sound canceling signal generated by theinput confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15 from a soundsignal input from the microphone 5 and delayed by the delay circuit 17,the sound signal including a signal component corresponding to the inputconfirmation beeping sound. Thus, the signal component corresponding tothe input confirmation beeping sound and mixed in the sound signal inputfrom the microphone 5 is canceled.

When a pen impact pipping sound is generated at the start of contact ofthe pen 8 with the touch panel 2, the noise canceler 16 subtracts a penimpact sound canceling signal generated by the pen impact soundcanceling signal generator 18 from a sound signal input from themicrophone 5 and delayed by the delay circuit 17, the sound signalcontaining a signal component corresponding to the pen impact pippingsound. Thus, the signal component corresponding to the pen impactpipping sound and mixed in the sound signal input from the microphone 5is canceled.

When a pen frictional crackling sound is generated due to the movementof the pen 8 on the touch panel 2, the noise canceler 16 subtracts a penfrictional sound canceling signal generated by the pen frictional soundcanceling signal generator 21 from a sound signal input from themicrophone 5 and delayed by the delay circuit 17, the sound signalcontaining a signal component corresponding to the pen frictionalcrackling sound. Thus, the signal component corresponding to the penfrictional crackling sound and mixed in the sound signal input from themicrophone 5 is canceled.

The voice signal from which noise components corresponding to inputconfirmation beeping sounds, pen impact pipping sounds, and penfrictional crackling sounds based on various input operations arecanceled by the noise canceler 16 is supplied to the communicationcontroller 12 for modulation and then transmitted from the antenna 13.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the input confirmation soundcanceling process in the communication terminal device.

The input confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15 monitors theinput confirmation sound generator 14 for the generation of an inputconfirmation sound in response to an input operation by the keys 4 orthe pen 8 (block S1).

When an input confirmation beeping sound is generated by the buzzer 7,the input confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15 produces aninput confirmation sound canceling signal which has a level equal to theactual microphone input level of the input confirmation sound(corresponding to the level of the input confirmation sound attenuatedby a predetermined level) and outputs it to the noise canceler 16(blocks S2, S3, and S4).

In the noise canceler 16, an input confirmation sound canceling signalgenerated by the input confirmation sound canceling signal generator 15is subtracted from a sound signal supplied from the microphone 5 throughthe delay circuit 17 and having the input confirmation beeping soundmixed in, so that a voice signal having the input confirmation beepingsound component canceled is output to the communication controller 12and then transmitted from the antenna 13 (block S5).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the pen impact sound cancelingprocess in the communication terminal device of the first embodiment.

The pen impact sound canceling signal generator 18 monitors for thestart of an input operation of bringing the pen 8 into contact with thetouch panel 2 (block A1). Upon detecting a first coordinate inputsignal, the generator 18 considers that an impact pipping sound causedby impact of the pen 8 onto the touch panel 2 was generated and readspen impact sound sample data from the pen impact sound sample datastorage 19 (blocks A2, A3). An impact sound canceling signal which hasthe same level as when the pen impact pipping sound is actually input tothe microphone 5 is generated and then sent to the noise canceler 16(block A4).

In the noise canceler 16, the pen impact sound canceling signalgenerated from the pen impact sound canceling signal generator 18 issubtracted from a sound signal supplied from the microphone 5 throughthe delay circuit 17 and having the pen impact pipping sound mixed in,so that a voice signal having the pen impact pipping sound componentcanceled is output to the communication controller 12 and thentransmitted from the antenna 13 (block A5).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the pen frictional sound cancelingprocess in the communication terminal device of the first embodiment.

The coordinate string storage/detector 20 stores coordinate string dataand monitors for the rate of change of the coordinates when the pen 8 ismoved on the touch panel (blocks B1, B2). When the rate of change of thecoordinates exceeds the predetermined threshold, the detector 20determines that a frictional crackling sound caused by friction betweenthe pen 8 and the touch panel 2 was generated and reads pen frictionalsound sample data from the pen frictional sound sample data storage 22(blocks B3, B4).

A pen frictional sound canceling signal which has the same level as whenthe pen frictional crackling sound is actually input to the microphoneis generated and then sent to the noise canceler 16 (block A4). In thenoise canceler 16, the pen frictional sound canceling signal generatedby the pen frictional sound canceling signal generator 21 is subtractedfrom a sound signal supplied from the microphone 5 through the delaycircuit 17 and having the pen fictional crackling sound mixed in, sothat a voice signal that is free from the pen frictional crackling soundcomponent is output to the communication controller 12 and thentransmitted from the antenna 13.

According to the communication terminal device of the first embodimentthus arranged, a voice signal that contains noises caused by key- orpen-based input operations is not transmitted during conversation in thetelephone mode and hence high-quality conversation can be maintained.

As described above, this is because, when input confirmation beepingsounds generated from the buzzer 7, impact pipping sounds caused byimpact of the pen 8 onto the touch panel 2, and frictional cracklingsounds caused by friction between the touch panel 2 and the pen 8 on thebasis of input operations with the keys 4 and the pen 8 are picked up asnoises by the microphone 5 during conversation, noise canceling signalsare produced, each of which is equal in level to a signal as it would beoutput from the microphone 5 if a corresponding noise were actuallyentered into the microphone 5. Each noise canceling signal is subtractedby the noise canceler 16 from a sound signal supplied from themicrophone 5 through the delay circuit 17 and mixed with the noises, anda resulting voice signal that is free from the noise components isoutput to the communication controller 12 and then transmitted from theantenna 13.

Although the input noise canceling circuit according to the firstembodiment of the communication terminal device is arranged to eliminateonly noise components based on key- or pen-based input operations from asound signal supplied from the microphone 5, it may be arranged as shownin FIG. 6. An input noise canceling circuit according to a secondembodiment shown in FIG. 6 is arranged such that an input sound from themicrophone is cut off or interrupted for a fixed period of time afterthe occurrence of a noise due to an input operation (stopping of soundinput), thereby canceling noise components.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the input noise canceling circuit accordingto the second embodiment of the communication terminal device. FIG. 7 isa flowchart for the noise component canceling process of the input noisecanceling circuit according to the second embodiment of thecommunication terminal device.

In the input noise canceling circuit of the second embodiment shown inFIG. 6, same reference numerals are used to denote corresponding partsto those in the input noise canceling circuit of the first embodimentshown in FIG. 2 and description thereof is omitted.

An input confirmation sound generating signal output from an inputconfirmation sound generator 14 in response to a key- or pen-based inputoperation is supplied to the buzzer 7 and directly to a noise canceler31. Also, a pen impact sound generating signal and a pen frictionalsound generating signal based on pen-based input operations are supplieddirectly to the noise canceler 31.

The noise canceler 31 monitors for a pen input or key input on the touchpanel 2 (block C1). In the presence of a key input, the noise canceler31 stops a sound signal from being input thereto from the microphone 5through the delay circuit 15 for a predetermined period of time from thetime that an input confirmation sound generating signal was output fromthe input confirmation sound generator 14.

In the presence of a pen input, on the other hand, the noise canceler 31stops a sound signal from being input thereto from the microphone 5through the delay circuit 15 for the predetermined period of time fromthe time that the pen input was initiated (blocks C2, C3).

Thereby, a sound signal mixed with noises caused by key- or pen-basedinput operations is canceled, so that only a voice signal free from thenoises is output to the communication controller 12 and then transmittedfrom the antenna 13. Thus, high-quality conversation can be maintainedin the telephone mode because no voice signal mixed with noises due tokey- or pen-based input operations is transmitted. IndustrialApplicability

According to the present invention, there is provided a communicationterminal device comprising means for inputting data based on manualoperations; voice input means; noise canceling means for canceling noisecomponents other than voice components from a sound signal picked up bysaid voice input means, said noise components being generated by manualoperations of said data inputting means; and means for transmitting asound signal which has noise components canceled by said noise cancelingmeans.

According to the present invention, noise components generated inresponse to input operations in the pen- or key-based data inputtingmeans are canceled from a voice signal input from the voice input meansand the resulting voice signal free from noises is then transmitted.Thus, since an input confirmation beeping sound, a pen impact pippingsound caused by impact of the pen onto the touch panel, and a penfrictional crackling sound caused by friction between the pen and thetouch panel are canceled, telephone conversations will not beinterrupted.

I claim:
 1. A hand-held type communication terminal device comprising:atouch panel for enabling a user to perform a data input operation usinga pen; a detector for detecting a movement of the pen; a microphone forinputting a sound signal; a memory for storing a pen frictional soundsample data; a canceling signal generator for generating a cancel signalfor canceling a pen frictional sound included in the sound signal whichis input by the microphone using the pen frictional sound sample datastored in the memory when the detector detects the movement of the pen;a noise canceler for processing the sound signal to eliminate the penfrictional sound therefrom using the cancel signal; and a transmitterfor transmitting the processed sound signal; wherein said detectorcomprises means for detecting a rate of change of a position of the penon said touch panel and means for comparing the rate of change with athreshold level to detect the movement of the pen.
 2. A hand-held typecommunication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein saidcanceling signal generator generates the cancel signal to correspond toa level of the pen frictional sound included in the sound signal whichis input by the microphone.
 3. A hand-held type communication terminaldevice according to claim 1, further comprising a delay circuit throughwhich the sound signal input by the microphone is supplied to the noisecanceler.